My name is Amy, and I’m an MPH student in the global health concentration. Prior to the program, I worked as a civil engineer and conducted research relating to cholera in rural Bangladesh and transboundary water policy of the Ganges River. I’m excited to use the MPH to broaden my knowledge base and deepen my knowledge in topics including WaSH, environmental justice, and the impacts of climate change on health. This summer, I’m working with Drs. Musa Manga and Courtney Woods through the UNC Water Institute and the Environmental Justice Action Research Clinic to explore the use of on-site sanitation in North Carolina.
On-site sanitation (think septic tanks!), in which household waste is not conveyed through a centralized management system like a sewer, is hugely prevalent in North Carolina. In fact, the state comes in at number 2 in the nation for proportion of residential households using septic systems, with approximately 50% of the population reliant on them. When such systems malfunction, they can pose potential health risks. We are particularly interested in the social determinants behind usage of septic systems and those that contribute to prolonged states of disrepair and, thus, prolonged states of increased health risk. On-site sanitation is greatly under-studied in the United States, and so we look forward to filling this gap through a literature review. We are also working to develop partnerships with local stakeholders, including county health departments and septic tank users, and gathering data for use in the upcoming academic year.
I’m excited to be working on this project, which we hope will provide stakeholders with data and information that can be used to apply to funding to improve sanitation and reduce adverse health outcomes in marginalized communities. I am also looking forward to beginning a Haitian Creole course this summer!
-Amy K.